NPI Blog

How’s Your Water Pressure?

As Homeowners, We Must Carefully Maintain a fine Balance When it Comes to Water Pressure.

We want there to be enough water coming through the pipes at a high enough pressure point to take a relaxing and enjoyable shower, and to fill up our pots when cooking in a reasonable amount of time. However, you don’t want to much pressure which causes stress on your pipes and water fixtures.

There are a lot of ways to adjust your water pressure but before doing that, you firstly need to me
assure your current water pressure. If you think there is a chance that your household water pressure could be to low or to high the first thing you need to do it test it. The most accurate way is to buy a pressure gauge from a local hardware store and attach it to a hose faucet. To get an accurate, baseline reading you want to make sure all other faucets and water-using appliances are turned off. 30-80 psi is what your household plumbing water pressure should be between.

Let It Flow.

Another way to check if the pressure is low without the gauge is to turn on the shower and all the faucets in the bathroom , and then flush the toilet. Carefully watch the water in the shower, if when the toilet is flushed, you can see the water pressure in the shower drop drastically then there is a good chance the pressure is off.

What’s the Cause?

If you determine you have low water pressure, there is a likely chance that there is a leak somewhere within the pipes of the house which causes the water to break out before it reaches the faucet. However, there could also be pipe build up which is actually blocking the water from getting through. To resolve either problem call a plumber to replace or repair the parts. Lastly there could also be a problem with your water supply. If you have consistently low pressure you can install a water tank and pump into your home to help with this.

That same water supply is usually the likely reason for high pressure. In this case you would want to install a pressure regulator at the water line that comes to your home. This will not only help you save water and conserve the life of your plumbing pipes but, it can also help you save money on your water bill.

If you have any questions about water pressure or think you may have low or high pressure, or any other plumbing needs, please give us a call.